


Unsportsmanlike behaviour

by thecurlymop



Series: tumblr prompts [3]
Category: The Crimson Field
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-06 20:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4235490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecurlymop/pseuds/thecurlymop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>idk there was a gifset that prompted the trouser pulling down bit and the rest just flowed. I don't play sport so that bit is fairly glossed over tbh</p></blockquote>





	Unsportsmanlike behaviour

It's become traditional for staff and the more mobile patients to have friendly kickabouts in the evening. It's a good way to exercise and let off steam and they never really get that competitive. On evening it's getting late and the light's fading. Tom, the acknowledged star player due to his years playing on the mean streets of the Gorbals, has been getting more aggressive over the game, frustrated with how quickly the slimmer lighter Miles can change direction and he thunders up behind Miles, determined to take the ball. Miles, having just hopped over a patch of mud, grins as he hears Tom swear and start to slip behind him. Suddenly he feels a tugging sensation and he begins to fall too, following the movement of his trousers which Tom has apparently grabbed. He lies there, stunned, feeling a breeze where he wouldn't normally expect one and listens to Tom swearing profoundly but intelligibly in that thick accent of his.

Foley appears over him grinning. 'I think that's the end of the game lads.'

Miles shuffles to get more comfortable. 'Tom, did you just pull my trousers down?'

'Miles!'

'That's certainly what it looked like,' says a still grinning Foley.

'I just grabbed onto something to keep me upright,' objects Tom. 'Your trousers just happened to be there… you really should keep your braces on and then they would have stayed up.'

'I don't know old chap, you did exercise considerable force…'

'Shut up Miles.'

As they are walking back to the tent, arms slung over each other's shoulders, mud flaking off at every footstep, Miles is still sniggering.

'You know you owe me for this. The humiliation alone is worth something.'

'You weren't humiliated, you enjoyed the attention you smug bastard.'

'Well I  _was_  humiliated, whether you choose to believe it or not, and for that, I demand satisfaction.'

'I'm not going to fight you in a duel,' sighs Tom, rolling his eyes.

'No, but I am going to teach you to play cricket and then I will be able to fight you like a gentleman. We'll have no more displays of unsportsmanlike behaviour from you Captain Gillan.'

/

It's late evening the following week and Miles has been threatening Tom for days about learning cricket so when he starts up again about how it's a gentleman's sport and really, it's fun too, Tom gives in. Miles' eyes light up and he is back with a set of stumps and a bat before Tom can really start to regret saying yes.

'Right, so for tonight we'll just have the one batter – it'll be easier for you to know what's going on and we can focus on some skills. We need at least one fielder, though we might discover that Tom can't hit the ball –'

Miles is cut off as Tom elbows him hard in the ribs.

'Hey,' he protests, 'I thought the point was to teach you a sport that meant you couldn't do any damage? Your elbows should remain at your sides Captain!'

They set up a cricket pitch and manage to cajole two soldiers into fielding for them before Miles places the bat in Tom's hands.

'Now Tom, batting is a serious business.'

'All I have to do it hit the ball surely?'

'Ah, but you have to hit the ball so that it can't be caught, my friend, and that can take practice.'

'Can we just try it out Miles, before you try to teach me,' sighs Tom.

Miles positions Tom with his bat in front of the stumps and walks off with the ball, rolling it between his palms and wondering how hard he should bowl. He didn't want to alarm Tom but at the same time it wouldn't do to make it too easy for him.

He turns at an appropriate distance, checking that his fielders are still upright and vaguely paying attention before he runs up and bowls the ball straight at the stumps. It connects with the bat with a resounding crack and flies off over the heads of the fielders as they watch with their mouths open.

'Blimey Tom, are you sure you've never played before?'

Tom looks a little sheepish.

'I may not have played cricket before but it seems pretty simple to me. My brothers and I would always pretend with a ball and a stick so I've had a lot of practice with that bit anyway. I guess what you really need to teach me are the rules.'

Miles beams.

'Well Tom, it just so happens that I am the right man for the job. My father was the umpire at the village cricket games and he was training me up to take his place before we got posted. I know everything there is to know about cricket and soon you will too. Now, let's talk about fielders…'

Miles couldn't deny that he was sad he hadn't found a sport Tom was bad at but still, it would be nice to talk about something different for a change.

**Author's Note:**

> idk there was a gifset that prompted the trouser pulling down bit and the rest just flowed. I don't play sport so that bit is fairly glossed over tbh


End file.
